The massive highway funding bill that has been so much in the news in recent weeks should not be in the news at all. Congress should have had the law in place by September 2003, when the 1998-2003 funding law expired.

Since the expiration of the old bill, federal lawmakers have had to pass 11 temporary extensions to keep money flowing to the states for construction projects. However, Congress' inaction on final passage of a bill has forced delay of some new projects nationwide.

The highway measure is another example of lawmakers being unable or unwilling to act in a timely way on important matters with which they are entrusted.

Granted, one of the issues in any highway bill is the "pork" projects that will be funded under the spending law - projects that are not necessarily the best use for certain money. Unfortunately, that is the nature of the transportation "beast," and Pennsylvania lawmakers must work to ensure that the Keystone State receives its fair share of the transportation funds available.

"This is legislation that will significantly boost and enhance our nation's transportation system," said James Inhofe, R-Okla., Senate Environment and Public Works Committee chairman. Most certainly approximately $300 billion covering the 2004-09 transportation-funding period will have many positive impacts.

But it shouldn't have taken two extra years of lawmakers' time to reach this point - even with President George W. Bush having balked at higher transportation spending than the current bill would establish and bickering among the states over the most equitable way to divide up the federal highway money.

Congress should avoid a repeat scenario in 2009.